Westward Expansion Study Guide

1. Westward Expansion Study Guide

2. SS4H5 e • Describe the causes of the War of 1812; include burning of the Capitol and the White House.

3. What caused the War of 1812? • The war was fought because the British started seizing the Colonist ships and sailors. War of 1812

4. What events happened during the War of 1812? • British forces burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in Washington.

5. What events happened during the War of 1812? continued… • Lady Dolly Madison, President Madison’s wife grabbed a few papers and a famous painting of George Washington before leaving the White House. After she left, the White House was bombed. Dolly Madison

6. What events happened during the War of 1812? continued… • The bombardment of Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem, “Star Spangled Banner”, about seeing the flag still standing above the fort the next morning. The song became the National Anthem in 1931. Bombardment of Fort McHenry

7. SS4H6 a • Describe territorial expansion with emphasis on • The Louisiana Purchase • The Lewis and Clark Expedition • The Acquisitions of Texas (The Alamo & Independence) • Oregon (Oregon Trail) • California (Gold Rush and the Development of Mining Towns)

8. Why was the Louisiana Purchase important? • Thomas Jefferson gained Louisiana from France under the Louisiana Purchase. • This land purchase, which was the Western part of the USA, doubled the size of the USA.

9. Why was the Louisiana Purchase important? continued…. • Thomas Jefferson sent the Corps of Discovery to explore the area. • The Corps of Discovery was headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

10. What happened during the Lewis and Clark Expedition? • Lewis and Clark started at St. Louis up the Missouri River and through the plains up to the Pacific Ocean.

11. What happened during the Lewis and Clark Expedition? continued.. • Lewis and Clark were to discover information (geography, people, & natural resources) about the new purchased under the Louisiana Purchase. They kept diaries and made maps. • They met many Native Americans.

12. What happened during the Lewis and Clark Expedition? continued… • A Shoshone woman named Sacagawea helped them to communicate with the Native Americans and to gather food.

13. What happened with theAcquisition of Texas? • Texas fought a war to become independent from Mexico.

14. What happened with theAcquisition of Texas? continued.. • Mexicans did not want more colonists moving to Mexico. They started taxing the colonists, so the colonists rebelled. • The Mexican army attacked and defeated the Texas soldiers at the Alamo. «The Alamo

15. What happened during The Alamo and the Mexican American War? • The Alamo was a fort in Texas that started out as a mission. Fighting at The Alamo

16. What happened during The Alamo and the Mexican American War? continued.. • The Mexican Army attacked and defeated the Texas soldiers at the Alamo. • Later, forces under Sam Houston defeated the Mexican forces.

17. What happened during The Alamo and the Mexican American War? continued.. • Texas found it hard to run their own government and wanted to become a part of the USA. • This caused a war to break out with Mexico (The Mexican American War) because of a border dispute. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. • Mexico had to cede or give up territory. The USA gained more land (West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming).

18. What happened during the Oregon Trail? • Many people known as Pioneers moved West because of the expansion of the USA. They followed a route called the Oregon Trail.

19. What happened during the Oregon Trail? continued… • Groups of wagons formed to make the journey. • This 2,000 mile trail went from Missouri to Colorado. People were looking for good, inexpensive land.

20. What happened during the Oregon Trail? continued… • They had to cross land through the Plains and Rocky Mountains before winter.

21. What happened during the California Gold Rush? • Many settlers moved to the west to seek their fortunes. Gold was discovered in 1848 in California which led to the start of the gold rush. Gold

22. What happened during the California Gold Rush? continued… • Pioneers nicknamed the Forty-Niners went to California. • Many Native Americans were forced off their land and killed. Forty-Niners

23. California Boomtowns • Boomtowns were formed to support the mining way of life. These towns had merchants who sold food, mining equipment, etc to the miners. • Later, gold became hard to find causing many boomtowns to go away. Boomtowns

24. SS4H6 b • Describe the impact of the steamboat, the steam locomotive, and the telegraph on life in America.

25. How did the Steamboat impact life in America? • Robert Fulton invented the steamboat called the Clermont. The Clermont Robert Fulton

26. How did the steamboat impact life in America? continued… • The Clermont traveled 150 miles up the Hudson River from New York to Albany. • The trip took 32 hours at about 4.7 miles per hour. • Transportation by steamboat led to canal building. A canal

27. How did the steamboat impact life in America? continued… • Canals connected waterways. The Erie Canal was an important early canal that linked New York with the Great Lakes (via the Hudson River and the Mohawk River). Image of the Erie Canal during this time period

28. How did the steamboat impact life in America? continued… • The Erie Canal linked New York with the Great Lakes and this allowed settlers to move by boat into western New York and then farther west. • Farmers could send their grain and other crops to New York to be sold.

29. What impact did the steam locomotive have on life in America? • After 1840, Americans built railroads rather than canals because of the steam locomotive. • Railroads were much cheaper to build. Steam Locomotive Railroads Steam Locomotive

30. What impact did the steam locomotive have on life in America? continued… • Goods could be transported faster by rail than by steamboat. • After the Civil War, the first transcontinental railroad connected the two coasts (East and West). Route of the first transcontinental railroad

31. What was the impact of the telegraph on life in America? • Samuel Morse invented the electric telegraph in 1844. Electric Telegraph Samuel Morse

32. What was the impact of the telegraph on life in America? continued… • With the invention of the telegraph, people could send messages for the first time very quickly over long distances. • This was how America communicated until the invention of the telephone in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. Alexander Graham Bell pictured on the left; The first telephone pictured on the right

33. What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on life in America? • The Industrial Revolution brought about new changes in transportation and manufacturing.

34. What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on life in America? continued… • Machines for textile (cloth) were created. • Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which cleaned cotton quickly. • Interchangeable parts ensured parts that were exactly the same size and shape. • Mass production allowed many parts to be made at once.